Reporting Child Abuse
Section 32A-4-3 — every person who knows or reasonably suspects abuse or neglect reports it immediately
Every person, including physicians, nurses, law enforcement officers, judges, school employees, social workers and clergy, who knows or reasonably suspects that a child is abused or neglected, and whose information is not privileged as a matter of law, reports it immediately to a local law enforcement agency, the children, youth and families department, or for an Indian child in Indian country, a tribal law enforcement or social services agency.
Who handles this in New Mexico: Pegasus Legal Services for Children; and legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the New Mexico directory.
Failing to report as the section requires is a misdemeanor.
Sources for this section (1)
- NMSA 1978, § 32A-4-3 — Duty to report child abuse and child neglect; responsibility to investigate child abuse or neglect; penalty; notification of plan of safe care
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of November 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Mexico attorney.